Found and Lost
by Kinsey Rachelle
Summary: Naruto agrees to go with Hinata to the town fair, but has to leave in a week. Will she get to say goodbye? -I do not own Naruto-
1. Chapter 1

Found and Lost

Part 1: Found and Lost

After a hard day of training, and wanting to escape on her own for a while, Hinata wandered off into the woods towards the stream. A way south, upstream, there was a small dock that she had spent many a summer's day at during summer vacation while she had been at the academy. She walked along the riverbank, carefully choosing her footing, and listening to the gentle whispers of the stream running beside her.

Soon the old wooden dock was within seeing distance. Once she reached it, she removed her coat and her shoes and walked to the end of the small pier where she placed herself gently on the edge, letting her feet dangle over the side and her toes dip lightly into the stream. The water was just cool enough to feel good after training, but not so cold she wouldn't be willing to swim in it.

She sat there, contented, for what seemed like only ten minutes before she heard shuffling behind her, like someone else was taking off their shoes. She didn't want to turn around, thinking it was probably Kiba who had stumbled upon her sitting there more than once. She moved her feet back and forth in the water and heard the soft pad of feet come up behind her. And, although she did not look immediately to see who it was, they sat down right next to her and dropped their feet into the water, too.

Looking into the water, the reflection that met Hinata's eyes was not the one she expected to see. It wasn't Kiba whose reflection looked back at her. It wasn't even Shino. And by the time she had realized she was staring at the face looking at her from the water and had comprehended that he was actually there, next to her, she was surprised she hadn't fallen into the water out of shock.

She lifted her head and turned it to face her visitor who had also looked up to meet her eyes. "N-naruto-kun..." she stuttered, whishing she could keep her voice even but surprised she could even find the words. "What... What are you d-doing here?"

He laughed noticing the slight blush that had come across her cheeks and his dazzling blue eyes danced like they always did, even when he just simply smiled. "What? I can't come here?" he laughed.

"N-no!" Hinata said in a hurry, looking back down at her feet and the water to hide her face, which was, at the moment, turning twenty different shades of red. "That's n-not what I m-meant. It's just... I d-didn't expect to s-see you h-here, that's a-all," she explained timidly as she tried to smile at him. "_Great... I finally have one-on-one time with Naruto and I can barely breath,_" she thought to herself.

Naruto laughed lightly. "Well, that makes sense." He looked around, turning his head back and forth. "I mean, this is a pretty secluded area. I guess when you're out here all alone you wouldn't really expect anyone to come out here, would you?"

Hinata shook her head, glad that she didn't have to explain herself. She brought her head up again and looked over at him, still blushing madly. She had always liked him... more than a little. And, although everyone seemed to be able to tell, he was the only one who never really saw through her. "S-s-so... W-what brings y-you all the w-way out here, a-anyway?" she questioned him, trying to keep her voice from shaking without success.

Naruto looked down at his feet and swished his toes around in the water. "Well... I just wanted to get away for a while. You know... Away from the streets and all the commotion."

"C-commotion?" Hinata asked, intrigued why Naruto, someone who had never wanted to step out of the lime-light, would want to get away from a place where everyone it town seemed to be.

"Yeah..." He started slowly, wondering if he should explain or not. After a few seconds, he decided that he had invaded what seemed to be Hinata's "alone time," so he might as well give her an explanation to why he was there. "You see... everyone's really excited about the fair tomorrow. They're all setting up the ribbons and getting the town ready. All the restaurants are closed so they can prepare as much food as possible for tomorrow night. It really is a mess."

Hinata giggled. The fair was a huge event in Konoha. They held it every year on the first day of August. Tomorrow just happened to be that day. "I thought you of all people would be down there helping everyone set up!" she managed to say without stuttering through the giggle that came with he words.

Naruto laughed a little. "It would seem like I should be down there, wouldn't it?" He looked at her and smiled for a second before continuing. "But... I never really went to the fair..."

Hinata didn't say anything. She knew perfectly well Naruto didn't usually join in the festivities, but she thought that maybe this year, since he was leaving in a week to go on what was suspected to be a six-month mission, he might go for once. Apparently he had other ideas. But this is what made Hinata begin to remember.

Year after year she had gone to the fair, ever since she could remember. Her father walked along holding Hanabi's hand with a reluctant look on his face while Hinata tagged along behind them, enjoying it as much as she could. The taste of cotton candy and caramel apples danced in her mouth and the noise of the fair tickled her ears.

Every year she walked to the edge of the fair where she could buy her favorite candy. There she saw Naruto sitting on the little swing outside the academy, all alone. The little, perky, blonde boy who had always been the center of attention (whether for bad reasons or good), would sit by himself and Hinata would stare at him sadly before she was called off by her father.

But this year he wouldn't be alone.

"N-naruto-kun," she stuttered, finding her voice after a prolonged moment of silence.

"Yeah, Hinata-san?" he asked her.

"W-well... T-tomorrow's the f-fair... um... w-will you m-meet m-me at the a-academy?" She didn't know how she got it out, even if she had stuttered more than usual. But, before either of them could speak, the words were out. She thought that after this day her cheeks would be permanently pink.

Naruto looked at her strangely for a moment, and for a second he made her wonder if she had even said it outloud or if it had all been in her head, thinking she said them outloud. Then a shy smile crept across his face. "Sure, Hinata-san. I'll meet you there. When?"

Hinata stood up hurriedly and started walking backwards off the dock towards the forest, almost stumbling, grabbing her jacket and shoes as she went. If she had been blushing before she could only imagine what color her face was now. She felt her cheeks get extremely hot but managed to answer his question, still stuttering.

"Umm.. G-get there about s-six, the t-time the f-fair starts. I'll m-meet you there!" she yelled to him over her shoulder as she had now broken into a sprint in the oppisite direction. She had finally done it. She had finally gotten a date with him, no matter how unofficial.

Soon she had ran through the entire town, through all the colored streamers, and through all the baracaded streets. She reached her home in no time flat, thinking all the way that she finally had a date with Naruto, and she had no clue how it had really happened.

The rest of the day was uneventful. Hinata served her cousin, Neji, her father, and her sister dinner like she always did. She did not feel the need mention her meeting with Naruto or the fair at all... Until Hanabi brought it up at dinner.

"Father," Hanabi said, "we are going to the fair tomorrow, aren't we?"

Hiashi looked up from his plate and directed his eyes at his younger daughter. "I think Hinata is old enough to take you this year." He moved his glace to meet Hinata's eyes full on.

Hinata, who was taking a sip of her tea, almost spit it all out. She sputtered a little and covered her mouth with her hand. "You don't have a problem with that, do you, Hinata?" her father asked in a monotone voice that still managed to sound authoratative.

"Um... Well..." Hinata began. She hated going against her father's word.

"What is it?" he asked her. Neji kept eating but Hintata sensed him lean foward in his seat just enought to know he was listening.

"Well... I was p-planning on g-going with someone else." She didn't want to tell him that she was going with Naruto. She didn't know if she could since she knew her father didn't approve of him.

Hinata's father was silent for a mmoment and took a sip of his drink. When he brought the cup back down from him lips he looked directly at his daughter again who was sitting on his right. "Is this friend more important than your sister?"

"_YES!_" She wanted to yell it loud enough for the entire village to hear, but instead she let out a shy, "No, Father, but I would like to go with them, very much. May I suggest that N-neji-niisan take Hanabi-chan since I already have p-plans?" Her cheeks flushed a little as she remembered what those plans were.

Hiashi considered it for a second, looked at Neji who nodded, and then looked at Hanabi who nodded in reply, also. "Looks like you'll be able to go with your... friend." His voice, though suspicious, didn't sound disapproving.

Hinata thanked her father many times over, and presently gathered all of the dishes from the table and washed them, all the while thinking about what the next day would bring...

All day Hinata stayed in her home. She paced up and down the halls; picking out one kimono, then another; pulling her hair up into different styles, then letting it fall back down. Her father and Neji didn't even bother her about it, as long as she did her chores as well.

In the end she decided on her simplest kimono. It was pure white and deep lavender ribbon tied around her waist and formed a elegant bow at the base of her back. The ends of the sleeves and the bottom of it was covered in a soft lace in the same lavander, and small deep purple lillys dotted the entire thing. It was perfect; nice enough that it didn't look "everyday" but not so formal she couldn't go to the fair in it. By 5:30 she had just decided to wear her hair down. She had spent several years growing it out to her waist, and it looked prettier that way, anyway.

When she realized she had five minutes to get to town, she rushed out of her room and around the bend of the hallways in her home, almost running into Neji as she turned a corner.

"Oh, Neji-niisan, I though Hanabi-chan would have pulled you out the door by now!" Hinata laughed.

Neji laughed lightly. "Well, she's finishing getting ready. Wait and we'll come with you."

Hinata giggled again. She continued down the hallway. "I think you're big enough to get to town on your own!" she called to her cousin. And with that she ran out the door, slipped her shoes on, and started for town.

When she reached the academy where she had told Naruto to meet her, she was relieved to see that he was already there, and that she obviously wasn't too late. He was sitting, rocking himself back and forth on the small swing that had hung from the old sakura tree in front of the academy for as long as anyone could remember. He suddenly stopped rocking as Hinata approached him.

She walked up to him slowly and shyly, wondering what he was thinking, and as always, slightly blushing. He stood up in a hurry and she realized he wasn't in his usaual orange sweat suit. In fact, he had changed into a much more fitting outfit for the occasion. Hinata certainly didn't know what he was thinking, but she had never been at a bigger loss of words. And, little did she know, the same went for him.

Naruto managed to speak first. "You look..."

"_I look... like what??_" Hinata looked down at her feet as she couldn't help but think the worst. "_He's never seen anyone more ugly... He's realized he doesn't want to be here with me... What have I gotten myself in-_"

"Beautiful," he finally said, cutting off her thoughts.

Hinata let out a breath that she didn't even realize she had been holding and looked back up at him. She smiled shyly and looked up into his blue eyes that were sparkling in the light coming from the freshly started festivities a few yards away. Her cheeks continued to redden from his comment.

"T-thank you, Naruto-kun. You l-look n-nice, too," she managed to say. "_Naruto-kun called me 'beautiful'__,_" she thought to herself, smiling and trying to keep herself from fainting at the same time.

He smiled back at her and the moment seemed perfect. He wasn't sure what made him do it. Maybe it was the way she was looking at him. Maybe it was the way she looked in general. Maybe it was simply the atomosphere. But, whatever it was, he leaned in a little, bending slightly to reach her, and she leaned forward, standing on tip-toes just a little bit. "_Is Naruto-kun really going to..._" she wondered. But her thoughts were cut short. Their lips were an inch away when shuffling footsteps were heard right behind them. They jerked away quickly and turned to see Iruka-Sensei who was walking toward them.

"Naruto! Hinata! What are you two doing over here? You should be enjoying the festival!"

Hinata laughed her easy laugh and the sing-song tones of her giggle seemed to penetrate the night. "Good evening, Iruka-Sensei! W-we were actually just headed o-over there! Why are you coming over h-here?" she stuttered a little bit, still somewhat flustered by what had almost happened.

Iruka smiled. "Forgot something in the school. I need to go get it real quick, but you can bet I'll be back at the festivities as soon as I get a chance."

Hinata and Naruto smiled and each gave him a simple, "Good night, Iruka-Sensei," before continuing on.

Soon, Naruto and Hinata were walking down the center of the town. Brightly colored lights guided the way through Konoha and every shop was covered and decorated with streamers that made everything look more festive than usual; almost dream-like. All the shop owners had smiles on their faces and every place was packed.

Naruto obligingly bought Hinata a caramel covered apple at a local sweets shop, not caring that he had to pay once he saw how happy she was. At one point they approached a game stand. Naruto looked at the shelves of prizes they had and then he turned to Hinata who was standing beside him.

**Naruto**: "_I'm so lucky..._"  
**Hinata**: "_I'm so lucky...__"_

"Pick one you want."

Hinata looked at him and smiled. "Really?" He smiled back gently and nodded. Hinata blushed a little and looked through the rows of prizes. "I want... that one." She pointed to a small stuffed penguin in the very corner of the bottom shelf. Naruto pointed too, making sure he had the right one. When she nodded at him, he asked for three balls and paid the man standing behind the stand. He handed Naruto three balls and backed away.

Naruto picked up the first ball, aimed carefully, and threw it at the set of bottles stacked in the middle. The top one fell, but the two on the bottom stayed put. He picked up the second ball and tossed it, completely missing them all together, making Hinata giggle at his effort. But the last ball went soaring straight towards them and knocked the remaining two bottles over.

The man had seen the animal Hinata had pointed to earlier and picked it off the shelf, handing it to Naruto. Naruto turned and handed it to Hinata, who smiled. She hugged it close to her and whispered, "Thank you, Naruto-kun." She said it so softly he barely heard her, but he smiled despite himself at the gentle sound of her voice in the night.

All night, no matter where the two had been, music had been blaring from the other end of town. As they approached the end of the town where the music was coming from, they could see everyone dancing. Hinata set her penguin against one of the stands where a lot of the girls had set their purses. When they finally reached it, they couldn't help but dance along.

A few minutes after they had started dancing, the music turned slow and everyone seemed to couple up. Hinata blushed and Naruto rubbed the back of his neck nervously, even though they both knew what was coming next.

"_Naruto-kun actually looks nervous,_" Hinata thought to herself trying not to giggle.

"H-hinata-san?" This time it was Naruto who was stuttering.

Hinata clasped her hands in front of her and looked up at him, blushing as she always did in his presence. "Yes, Naruto-kun?" She surprised herself when she realized that her voice was so even.

"Would you-" He couldn't finish it, but then he realized that he didn't have to.

"I'd l-love to d-dance, N-naruto-kun." She grabbed hold of his hand before she could talk herself out of it and pulled him farther into the middle of the dancers. He followed her obligingly and never loosened his grip on her hand.

When they reached the center, Hinata stopped and turned to face her partner. She released her grip on his hand and for a split second Naruto thought she was going to start walking again. But instead he felt her hands lay gently on his shoulders. He placed his hands on her waist, and they began to rock back and forth in time with the music, each looking towards the other, but afraid to meet the other's eyes. By this point both of them were blushing.

But, as was inevitable, both looked at the other. At that moment, Hinata's hands met at the back of his neck and latched together. Naruto's fingers intertwined at the base of her back and they pulled closer. They leaned in for the second time that night when a familiar voice sounded behind them... again.

**Naruto**: "_I was so close..._"  
**Hinata**: "_He was so close..._"

"Hinata! Naruto!" Hinata and Naruto both loosened their grips and their arms dropped to their sides as Kiba approached them and the music tempo sped up and the world around them started to spin. If only it had held still a moment longer...

Hinata put on her gentle smile and laughed. "Good to see y-you, too, Kiba-kun! What are y-you doing here?" Kiba was so used to her stuttering he didn't even notice that there was a slightly nervous sound to it.

Kiba laughed his hardy laugh. Akumaru barked loudly from his place on top of Kiba's head. "No, I didn't forget about y-you, Akaumaru," Hinata giggled as she patted the dog's head and Akumaru licked her palm.

"I'm just enjoying the fair like every other Konoha citizen," Kiba said. "Hey, Naruto." He now turned to face him, not really registering that they were there together. "Do you mind if I steal Hinata for a dance?" He asked the question but he didn't wait for an answer because before she knew it Kiba had shouted, "Good!" and she was being hauled off hand and hand with Kiba, leaving Naruto behind.

Kiba kept her for longer than one dance. And, by the time she was able to get away, she couldn't find Naruto anywhere. She went to pick up her penguin, but it looked like Naruto had beaten her to it.

She walked back the way she had come earlier, and when she reached their meeting place, the old tree outside the academy, there Naruto was, waiting, rocking back and forth with his feet just as he had been earlier. He stood up when he saw her.

**Naruto**: "_She looks prettier every time I see her..._"  
**Hinata**: "_He looks more handsome everytime I see him..._"

"There you are. I thought you might be wanting this." Naruto stood up and held out the stuffed animal he had won her earlier. She walked foward and took it from him, hugging it to her body. She looked up into his eyes and realized that he wasn't trying to avoid them; he was looking right back.

She reached for his hand with her right and held the toy with her left. He reached back and both blushed a little.

And, for the third time that night, they leaned in together and closed their eyes. And, for the third time that night, they were interrupted. Footsteps, two sets, were heard coming around the corner. Seconds after they had pulled apart, both facing their new visitors, Neji and Hanabi walked around the corner.

Although they had been laughing moments before, both Neji and Hanabi stopped in their tracks at the sight of Hinata and Naruto. For a minute that seemed to strech on over a great spanse of time, no one said anything. Then, by simply nodding, Neji and Hanabi walked right on by the two without a word. Hinata knew this was a silent agreement not to mention who she had been with the whole night.

And when they were a few steps past, Hinata looked longingly at Naruto. She walked away, letting her fingers linger in his just long enough so that he knew she didn't want to go. She followed Neji a few steps before looking back. But when she did, he was gone.

For the rest of the week Naruto and Hinata didn't see much of each other. They were busy training, and Naruto was especially preoccupied with packing and training twice as hard as he usually did (which was usually twice as hard as everyone else) in preparation for his mission, which was expected to last six months.

And even though they only got second-long glances at each other, neither of them could get the other off their mind the entire week. And, as Friday approached, Hinata wondered if she would get to say goodbye.

Friday morning came and although neither knew it, both were up at the crack of dawn: Naruto because he had to be; Hinata because she wanted to be.

Naruto had his backpack full of the things he would need. He was at the gates of the village, waiting for Jiraiya who was going on the mission with him. The sun was over the horizon and the village was waking up. Soon, as he was standing there, he heard his voice called out from behind him.

He turned to see Hinata running up to him. She flew right through the passing people that were waking up with the day and ran right for him. When she reached him she said, "I... didn't think... I'd g-get here in time..." She panted between breaths.

Naruto smiled down at her and wrapped his arms around her waist causing a blush to fall across her cheeks. He bent his head down whispered in her ear. "I didn't think I'd get too see you before I left. And you know what?"

He pulled back for a second to look at her face. She tilted her head up to look into is dazzling blue eyes. "What?" she whispered, almost inaudibly.

"That would have made leaving twice as hard..."

With that he bent down and their lips touched. Hinata's face went bright red in a blush and her eyes were wide in surprise for a second. But when he didn't realease her, she leaned into him and he leaned back into her. She melted in his arms as they stood their kissing. Neither one had a thought of breaking it, no matter how many people were around. They only broke apart when Jiraiya announced that, ahem, they had to get on their way.

**Naruto**: "_I think she's all I've ever really wanted._"  
**Hinata**: "_He's all I've ever wanted._"

This time it was Naruto's turn to let his fingers linger a little too long in Hinata's. He didn't look back, but she watched him until he was out of sight.

Slow, steady tears flowed down her face. She stood there, frozen in the world that was moving all around her. People were weaving in and our around her, not really caring why she was there or what had just happened.

And when she finally turned her eyes from the spot where Naruto had disappeared, she realized that for as long as she could remember, she had always wanted Naruto. He had been the only one who hadn't seen through her. The only one who hadn't seen how much she wanted him; how much she needed him. And now they had finally found each other.

"_I finally found him,_" she thought. "_But just as quickly I've lost him.__.._"


	2. Chapter 2

Part 2: Lost and Found

_While he was away, time passed slowly for Hinata. It was as if everything was happening, but time wasn't really moving. Each day felt like a year. The clock hands never seemed to move. She tried to act like everything was normal, finally thankful she had a naturally shy personality. When you've never really talked much in the first place, there's no reason to start all of a sudden._

_But the days and nights did pass. She kept moving on, kept training as hard as she could. But no matter what she was doing, he was always in the back of her mind. He had always been there. In her mind and in her heart. But now her thoughts of him came more frequently, as in almost every minute of each day. She thought differently of him, now, too, after seeing him look at her the way she had always wanted him to. It was as if that look had distorted her memory of him, but in the best way possible._

_And as for his place in her heart? Well, he had always had a small peice of it, whether he knew it or not. But in the week after the fair, just before he had left, she felt the spot grow bigger every day. And with him gone it was as if she was missing it all together. She was left with only the intensified memories of him to keep her smiling._

_She wondered if somewhere in the back of his mind he was thinking of her too. Maybe she held a peice of his heart in place of the one he had taken from her._

_While he was away on his mission, time passed slowly for Naruto. It was all he could do to remember what progress he and Jaraiya made from day to day. Everything blurred together and nothing really made sense. His normally hyperactive personality playing against him once again. Jaraiya worried at first, but then blamed Naruto's suddenly quiet personality on the stress of the mission and being away from home for so long. _

_There was really no way to keep track of the time out there anyway. Their mission was a secret, even to Naruto up until weeks into the assignment. They camped most of the time, tracking, picking up information to take back to Tsunade in Konoha. And so Naruto knew the world was still revolving as the nights fell and the sun rose every day, every night. And though training had always been his number one priority, there was something else on his mind these days._

_Her face was always smiling at him in the back of his mind. He remembered her clearly, his visions of her clear and sharp. Her hair blew in the breeze, tickling her cheeks. Her face was always smiling gently, her cheeks permanently blushing a slight shade of pink. Sometimes he imagined her twiddling her fingers like she did. But mostly he remembered the way she had looked at him that night at the fair... The time he had kissed her. He wondered how long she had looked at him like that for. How long he had been oblivious to her longing glaces and shy smiles directed at him. And while she occupied the back of his mind twenty-four hours a day, there was also something new._

_She had stolen part of his heart. He had known it from the moment she had left the fair. Every day it seemed like she took more and more of it, constantly taking it over. But not in a bad way. It was as if she was there with him. She had his heart; it was her's for the taking. He had never really felt this way about anyone and he wondered what had been there, in his heart, before she had come along._

_And even though he was constantly hiding from mortal danger, fighting for his life didn't seem like such a chore as long as in the end it would mean he could get back to her. But all that time he couldn't help but wonder if she thought about him as much as he thought about her. And he couldn't help but wonder if he had recieved a piece of her heart in return. Maybe, just maybe, he thought, it was an equal trade. A win-win situation. Maybe he had touched her heart like she had touched his._

_But in the end he always felt that no one, not even the shy Hyuuga girl, could love another the way he loved her._

**September** passed...

**October** passed...

**November** passed...

**December** passed...

**January** passed...

**February** passed...

After six months of waiting she was finally ready for him to come home. All fall... All winter... Everyone had been home. There had always been someone around. But she had felt so alone. She didn't think she'd be complete until he came back to her.

She remembered hearing people talking about how long he and Jaraiya would be gone for. Most people said it would be about six months. Well, six months had passed, no matter how slowly. But what if he didn't come home this month? Next month? She had just won everything she had ever wanted and then lost it all for six months of tense anticipation. She was not going to give it up now.

"_But at least I had it, no matter for how short a time__,_" she thought as she made her way to the city gates. Then she shook her head. She wouldn't loose it. Naruto would come back to her. He had to.

She made it to the gates and walked over to the two guys sitting there. They kept track of who came in and went out of the city all the time. "_Must be boring, sitting there recording names all day__,_" she thought to herself. She made her way over to them and smiled.

"Good morning, Hinata-san!" they greeted her.

She smiled shyly in return. "Um..." she started. For some reason she couldn't force herself to ask. "D-do you, um, know w-when..." She let her voice trail off as she saw the two of them exchange a knowning look. She widened her eyes and raised her eyebrows the slightest bit to prompt them to tell her what they were thinking.

The two smiled warmly at her. "Naruto-kun is supposed to get back sometime this week. We don't know exactly when, but Tsunade recieved a letter from him a few days ago saying they'd be back soon," one of them answered her in response to the look on her face. They had guessed what she was there for the moment she had walked up.

Hinata let out her breath that she had been unintentionally holding. They laughed at her lightly and she couldn't help but smile, too. A blush came across her face, partly from embarrassment and partly from the mention of his name. It was almost pitiful how attached she was to him, even to her. "Thank you," she told them. She turned to leave and started to walk away.

"I can guess we'll be seeing a lot of her until he's back," one of the guards said. It had meant to be too low for her to hear, but her ears had picked it up. She smiled and silently agreed.

"Jaraiya-sama!" Naruto called, making his way through the forest, speeding ahead of his sensei. He couldn't believe they were finally going home. As soon as Jaraiya had announced that the mission was over and they were going back Naruto had been his old, hyperactive self. The thought of seeing Hinata after so long was almost too much for him. He wanted to get back as soon as possible.

"Naruto, slow down!" Jaraiya called from behind him. Naruto slowed up for about five seconds before his joy got the best of him and he sped ahead again. They were about a day from the village, but at this speed, maybe even less.

As Jaraiya caught up with him he whispered into the wind, hoping, foolishly, he thought, that it would somehow carry on the wind all the way to Hinata back in Konoha.

"Wait for me. I'm coming_._"

"What was that, Naruto?" Jariya asked from beside him. He had caught up faster than Naruto had thought.

"Nothing, Ero Senin!" Naruto called. "But you better hurry up! I wanna get back soon!" Naruto jumped ahead and sped off.

Hinata walked aimless around town. There was really nothing to do today. It was a lazy day. Missions had been low on supply lately and the new genins were getting all the little missions; not like the village chuunins would agree to do them anyway. Chasing cats was so genin.

She let her eye wander onto the familiar sign of Itchiraku Ramen, Naruto's favorite place to eat. She let her feet take her to the end of the main street where she and Naruto had danced for about two seconds, only for her to be dragged away by Kiba and not returned until the end of the night.

She turned and it looked like she was headed back to the gate. She couldn't go back there again until she knew she would meet him there. She directed her feet to go in a different direction, but just at that moment she felt the wind shift and push her towards the gate. It seemed to be warm compared to the crisp March air around her. It only lasted a moment but she couldn't help but think that there had been something special about that breeze.

She stood rooted to the spot in the middle of the town. She couldn't go back to the gate by herself. She didn't think she could stand it again. Her last memory there was so bittersweet; this kiss they had shared, only to end in him leaving. But that contradicting wind...

"Hinata-san!" She spun, having heard her name from behind her. A waving arm was visible over the afternoon crowd, pink hair bobbing up and down, running towards her.

"Hi, Sakura-san," Hinata greeted her warmly as the girl caught up to her.

She smiled at her friend. She wasn't one to hold grudges, or even be mad. And she certainly didn't have anything against Sakura. It wasn't her fault that Naruto had been infatuated with her for about five years of his life. If anything, Sakura had wanted nothing more than for Naruto to leave her alone. But, although there was nothing she could do about the past now, Hinata couldn't help but feel the ghost of jealousy she had always felt towards Sakura. For some reason she had to keep reminding herself that Naruto was hers now.

But looking at Sakura she couldn't help but worry that Naruto's old feelings could be reignited in a second.

"Have you been to the gate today?" Sakura asked her, a smile on her face. "I was just on my way to see if Naruto is back. I saw Jaraiya-sama's bird come about a week ago and Lady Tsunade told me it said they should be back soon. I was just on my way to see if they were back yet."

Hinata nodded. "Y-yeah," her voice shook a little but she quickly gained control of it. "I've already been there. The gaurds told me the same thing. But they haven't gotten back yet," she told her.

Sakura's face fell a little, then she smiled again. "Well, there's no sense in just standing around waiting by ourselves. Why don't we wait together?"

Hinata hesitated. The idea of sitting around all day waiting for Naruto was double sided. She was willing to sit at those gates for as long as it took for him to get back. But then again, it would be boring sitting there all day, especially if he didn't show up until tomorrow or the next day. It would be like wasting time. More anticipation. And the idea of waiting with Sakura, well, she didn't really want the first face Naruto saw to be her's.

But there was no sense in making Sakura unhappy, and she would have a reason besides her own to wait for Naruto. Plus she wouldn't have to wait by herself. "Sure, lets go," she answered. She turned around, with Sakura now at her side, and they started for the gate.

After three hours of waiting, Hinata gave up. "Sakura-san, he hasn't shown up yet. Let's call it a day. I bet he gets here tomorrow."

Sakura gave Hinata a strange look. "Ok..." she answered skeptically as she stood.

"What is it, Sakura-san?" Hinata asked. She had noticed a strange tone in her voice.

"Well," Sakura hesitated. "It's just, I would imagine that you of all people would be the most eager to sit here until he gets back."

Hinata blushed deep red and turned away from Sakura. "Well... It's just... This is... It's hard for me..." She couldn't find the words. Presently she felt Sakura's arm around her shoulder.

"I know," Sakura crooned in Hinata's ear. "Everyone saw it... The kiss..." Hinata's ears perked up at this. It wasn't exactly a secret, but she didn't think very many people had actually witnessed it. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought you here. We can leave if you want."

Hinata was holding back tears now, grateful that Sakura was able to understand the situation. She nodded silently and they walked into town, Sakura's arm around Hinata's shoulder. The sun was starting to set. He would be home soon.

Sakura walked her home and left her at the door. Hinata thanked the girl for everything and went inside to make dinner for her family. All was quiet as she made dinner and all through the meal. No one talked, but Hinata noticed Neji sending nervous glances at her all through dinner.

Once dinner was over Hinata cleaned up the meal. As she was washing dishes in the kitchen she heard footsteps behind her. She turned to see Neji standing there. "What do you want, Neji-niisan?" she asked him politely, continuing her work.

Neji eyed her. "He's coming back soon." It wasn't a question.

Hinata felt herself smile slightly. "Yes. Tomorrow if everything's on schedule."

Neji nodded as if he had known it all along and left. Hinata finished the dishes and went to her room, but she couldn't sleep that night. She got up and snuck out, walking absent mindedly through the town. Soon she found herself on the little dock on the stream where she had first asked Naruto to go to the fair with her...

"Naruto, we have to stop sometime!" Jaraiya called from somewhere behind him.

"_He is such a wimp sometimes__,_" Naruto thought, slowing down for his sensei once again.

"I think we should stop for the night," Jairaya said as he caught up to Naruto.

The blonde looked thoughtful for a moment, stopping to consider. All he wanted to do was get back to Hinata. They had been traveling at almost three times their usual pace which meant they were close to the village. "Hold an a minute," Naruto requested. The sannin sighed but let Naruto go. He leapt up the tree they were on to look out over the land.

There, about two miles to the north, was Konoha.

"Ero-Senin!" Naruto called as he climbed back down the tree. "We're only about 20 minutes from the village! Please can we just keep going?" he pleaded.

Jaraiya sighed. "You go on. I'm sure there's not much danger between here and the village. But keep a look out, anyway. I'll follow, but don't expect me to keep up," he warned. But before he could finish his sentence Naruto was leaping off into the distance.

"_Almost there,_" he thought. "_I'm coming, Hinata._"

Hinata fell asleep on the dock, her toes dangling in the water. Her knees were bent so that her legs hung off the end and she was laying on her back with her arms crossed lightly across her chest. Her shoes were next to her on the dock. The moon glittered brightly off the water and shone on her face. Her waist-length navy blue hair spread out around her, framing her face.

That's how she looked when he found her.

He picked her up lightly in his arms, pulling her so that her toes no longer hung in the water. He sat her in his lap and for a second she stayed curled up there.

After about a minute she stirred and opened her eyes. She hadn't remembered falling asleep but at first thought she was caught in the middle of a dream. He had been there, waiting for her in her dream world each night, for some time now. But as she reached up and touched her hand to his face she knew that it was no dream.

A tear slid down her blushing face and she nestled her head into his chest. "Naruto-kun..." she hummed.

"Shhh," he crooned, stroking her hair and tucking a stray strand behind her ear. "I know. It's ok. I'm here now." He pressed his soft lips to the top of her head and she let more tears fall from her eyes.

**Hinata**: "_This is all I've ever wanted..._"  
**Naruto**: "_I'm so glad it's her..._"

It seemed like they sat there like that for hours. It was really only ten minutes before Hinata raised her head to look at him and the tears stopped. But that ten minutes had seemed like a few, blissful, dream-like hours.

She pulled away from his arms a little and turned to kneel and face him. There he sat, right in front of her. She found herself holding her breath from the thrill of finally seeing him after the months of agonizing waiting. She took him in, not wanting that moment to end. He was looking right back, looking at her with those peircing blue eyes, the way she had always wished he would.

She let her eyes follow the lines of his face. Over his mouth, his chin. She let them fall to his collar bone, over his shoulders, down his arms to his hands. She then looked back up into his blue eyes and smiled gently. Her lips quivered as she spoke, fighting back tears again. "I missed you." It came out in an almost inaudible whisper.

"I missed you, too," he said. His voice was a soft whisper also. He reached for her and she leaned into him. He caressed her face in his hands, one hand gently holding on the each side of her face. She closed her eyes and smiled at his touch and brought one of her hands up to place it on top of his.

He let his thumb brush over her cheek, her lips. She was trying not to cry again but her efforts were futile; tears started to slide silently down her face. She opened her eyes and looked at him longingly, her lips quivering. He leaned into her and pressed his lips to hers.

She embraced the moment and closed her eyes slowly, not wanting to lose him. It was gentle and soft. She felt his lips against hers, his hands on her face, her hot tears against her cheeks. It was everything she'd ever wanted.

His hands never left her face and she brought her other hand up to place it over his other hand for a moment before moving them to hold his face to hers. She felt his face, spreading her fingers and dragging them gently down to his shoulders. She scooted foward, moving herself closer to him. Her hands continued to moved down across his chest, over his shoulder, over his arms. She dropped them to his knees than brought them up his thighs, his stomach, feeling his muscles through is shirt, then came to let them rest on his chest. All the while hot tears fell down her face, but his hands never left her cheeks and the kiss never broke.

They stayed like that for a moment. When they finally pulled away they kept their heads together, their noses just touching. She could feel his hot breath on her face, blowing over her features. Hinata gasped a little from it all. Her eyes were still closed from the moment after the kiss and so were his. Both were afraid to let the moment go.

"Naruto-kun..." she whispered.

"Hmmmm?" he hummed in response before kissing her lightly again.

When he pulled away they both opened their eyes, their noses still touching, both breathing a little heavier than usual, Hinata's face pink from blushing and crying. "I... I love you, Naruto-kun," she managed. "I always have... From the first day I saw you... You've always had my heart, Naruto-kun..."

He didn't respond right away, causing her to close her eyes and drop her hands from his chest. Her lip began to quiver again. Her immediate instinct was to look down but she couldn't because he still had her face in his hands.

He brushed his thumb over her lips causing them to quiver more. He wiped the steady tears away from her cheeks and kissed them each in turn before moving back to her lips. While still kissing her he took his hands from her face and grabbed hers which were now in his lap. She curled them into light fists and he brought them up, bent at the elbows, between them. He pulled away from the kiss, her eyes still closed.

He leaned forward, holding her wrists in his hands, so that his mouth came next her face. "I love you, too, Hinata-chan," he whispered in her ear. As the words escaped his lips, he realized that they were true. It had happened so fast... But it was true, nonetheless. He had fallen for the shy, quiet, Hyuuga girl who had always been waiting for him. His only regret at that moment was that he had taken so long to see it.

She fell forward into him and sobbed, her shoulders heaving. He held one of her hands in his and brought the other around to stroke her hair. "I love you, Hinata-chan... I love you... I really do..." he hummed to her.

She brought her head up from his chest and looked at the silhouette of his face against the night sky. The tears slowed and she calmed down after a moment and smiled as he looked down at her. She leaned up and kissed his lips lightly.

"I love you so much, Naruto-kun," Hinata said.

"I know, and I love you more than you can ever know just for loving me," he replied before their lips met again.

You never seem to know what you've got until it's been taken away from you.

But, sometimes, in the end, it comes back.

And for those lucky enough to get a second chance? Well, let's just say some of us get a happy ending.


End file.
